April 25, 2018•Update: April 25, 2018
By Sinan Ozmus and Salih Baran
ANKARA
A total of 1,054 undocumented migrants were held across Turkey, security sources said Wednesday.
In western Izmir province, coast guards rounded up 56 Syrian and three Iranian nationals trying to reach Greece, said the sources on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
The migrants were stranded in the Aegean Sea after their rubber boat stopped due to a motor failure.
Separately, 44 Syrians including 22 children were held in Kas district of southwestern Antalya province.
Five alleged human smugglers were arrested for further investigation, the source said.
In southeastern Hatay province, 36 Syrians were held while trying to enter Turkey.
Later on Wednesday, coastal guards and gendarmeries apprehended 790 undocumented migrants in the northwestern Turkish province of Edirne.
The migrants include Afghan, Algerian, Pakistani, Palestinian, Tunisian, Moroccan, Syrian and Bangladeshi nationals, another security source said.
Separately, 125 undocumented migrants were held in two-day operation in the eastern Anatolian province of Erzurum.
Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of the civil war in Syria.
